This invention relates to a process for the preparation of novel growth media from distillation and other medicinal plant wastes for mass multiplication of bio-control fungi.
Experiments have been carried out and a new process has been developed for the large scale production of a cheap growth media from distillation and other medicinal plant wastes for the multiplication of two well known bio-control fungi viz. Trichoderma harzianum Ri (ATCC 66869) and Gliocladium vivirde Matru (ATCC 32912) for the control of plant diseases. A particular strain of Trichoderma harzianum TH (ATCC PTA-3701) was redeposited with the American Type Culture Collection, Manassas, Va. 20110-2209, on behalf of CIMAP on Sep. 11, 2001, (to replace a specimen originally submitted on Nov. 20, 2000 which failed a viability test) and a particular strain of Gliocladium virens=trichoderma virens GV (ATCC PTA-2710), deposited with the American Type Culture Collection, Manassas, Va. 20110-2209, on behalf of CIMAP on Nov. 20, 2000, are preferred embodiments of the present disclosure.
Although there are a large number of growth media found suitable for these fungi, most of these, besides being drawn from the useful food grains like wheat, sorghum, maize etc., are generally expensive. In an experiment conducted to screen different growth media for mass culture of Trichoderma and Gliocladium, it has been observed that the distillation waste of two essential oil crops viz. Citronella (Cymbopogon winterianus) and Japanese mint (Mentha arvensis) can be successfully utilized for the production of mass inoculum of these two fungi. Similarly, the non-utilized parts of medicinal plants like poppy capsule shell and musk dana fruits etc. have been found suitable for the purpose.
Biological disease control is a promising strategy for managing soil borne or foliar pathogens in a wide range of crops. In recent years, because of difficulties in controlling the soil borne plant pathogens by conventional chemical methods, there have been many attempts at biological disease control especially with the species of Trichoderma and Gliocladium. One of the most critical obstacles to biological disease control by direct massive soil augmentation has been the lack or scarcity of methods of mass culturing for delivering antagonists to the soil. For this, various formulations have been tested. These include:
(a) fermentor biomass in pulverized pyrophylite or in alginate pellets,
(b) wheat or rice bran inocula,
(c) inoculum multiplied on seeds/grains of various cereals and millets and
(d) many other formulations utilizing inorganic salts and other organic substances.
(Mukhopadhyay, 1987 Indian J Mycol and Pl. Path. 17: 1-9; Maplestone et al., 1991 Plant and Soil, 136: 257-263).
The distilled waste of various aromatic crops and the non-utilized parts of medicinal and other plants are of limited economic use. Distillation waste retains the nutritional value and hence, can be recycled to the crop as potential source for supplementing the nutritional requirement of subsequent crop. This waste obtained as a by-product in hydro-distillation of fresh herbage is a potential source of nitrogen and other nutrients. Though some agricultural by-products and agricultural wastes have been tested for mass culturing of Trichoderma and Gliocladium (Gangadharan and Jeyarajan, 1990 J. Biol. Control. 470-71, Sawant and Sawant, 1996, Indian Phytopath 49: 185-187), no information so far exists on the possibility of using distillation waste as growth medium of these fungi.
The object of the present invention is to develop an improved process for the production of a growth media for mass production of bio-control fungi which obviates the drawbacks of the existing methods.
Another object of the present invention is to develop a cheap growth media for the multiplication of well known bio-control fungi viz. Trichoderma harzianum TH, Trichoderma harzianum Ri, Gliocladium virens GV and Gliocladium viride Matru where distillation wastes of some aromatic crops like citronella, mints, lemongrass etc., and the non-uilised parts of medicinal plants like poppy capsule husk and musk dana fruits etc., can be used.
To meet the above objects, a present invention provides a process for the preparation of a growth media for mass multiplication of bio-control fungi, which comprises (a) shade drying of distillation waste recovered after distillation of plant herbage, (b) chopping this shade dried distillation waste, (c) filling the distillation waste in poly-propylene or poly-ethylene bags, (d) plugging the said bags with cotton followed by autoclaving at 15 lbs pressure for one hour and inoculation of these bags with any of Trichoderma harzianum TH (ATCC PTA-1920); Trichoderma harzianum Ri (ATCC No. 6089), Gliocladium virens GV (ATCC PTA-2710) and Gliocladium viride Matru (ATCC No. 32912), (e) incubation of the bags in well illuminated room at room temperature ranging between 15-34xc2x0 C. for 14-30 days and (f) shade drying of the resultant product and grinding the same in a blender to obtain a fine powder.